Cloud Telecomputers cranks up board, Glass Android desktop phones

Silent for a while, Cloud Telecomputers (www.cloudtc.com) has started cranking up the volume, announcing certification with Metaswitch, a new CEO and a new board member who was the former President and CEO at Polycom.

Anthony Gioeli has been named President and CEO. Before joining Cloud, he was EVP of sales and marketing at PanTerra Networks, a provider of cloud-based unified communications, and has serviced as CEO at Atrua Technologies, and AirPrime. Gioeli replaces Walter Kortschak, the interim CEO who moves into the role of co-chairman.

Robert C. Hagerty joins Cloud Telecomputers as a member of the board. He previously had a 13 year run at Polycom, joining as President and COO in January 1997, becoming CEO in 1998 and collecting Chairman of the Board of Directors for Polycom in March 2000. In May 2010, Hagerty left Polycom, stepping down from all three of his tasks.

Given the timing of this announcement, one might suspect any non-compete issues Hagerty had with Polycom have expired.

Cloud has also announced it will be shipping its Glass Android desktop phones in mass to customers in Europe, Asia, and North America this summer.

It will be interesting to see how Glass will fit into onto the desktop into a world where everyone declares the business desktop phone “dead” every three years, to be replaced by mobile phones and, more recently, tablets.

The power of Glass is Android, enabling programmers to more easily customize/port applications over the mishmash of proprietary and XML-esque offerings, and enabling users to download apps directly (If the IT people allow it).